Top Innovative Funding Methods

Lana

Adopt-a-Dewey

Adopt-a-Dewey was first publicized in an article by Katherine “Kit” Willis from the Ojai Library, a branch of the Ventura County Library near Santa Barbara, California. It was inspired by the Camden County (New Jersey) Library’s “Adopt-a-Shelf” program. Since then, many libraries have implemented this helpful and inexpensive volunteer program. Volunteers from the community are assigned a particular section of books based on their Dewey numbers; for example, the Ojai Library assigned them in hundreds, i.e. 000 – Generalities, 100 – Philosophy and Psychology, 200 – Religion, etc. The program coordinator can work with the volunteers to identify a Dewey section that will interest the volunteers. The range can vary according to the size of the library and amount of interest. The Ojai library found it easy to divide it by the ten Dewey categories and also include six sections for additional sections such as fiction and reference. Volunteers are asked to come in at least once a week for an hour, at their convenience while the library is open, and tidy up their sections. This includes making sure the books are in correct shelf order and are neatly placed on the shelf. Additionally, any books that need repairs are pulled and given to a library staff member. The Ojai Library advertised these opportunities with an ad in the local newspaper and a library flyer and the program filled up in just three weeks. The success of this program is due in part to people wanting a convenient way to volunteer at their community library, with this program offering flexible hours. Also, by matching volunteers with books that interest them, it is giving the volunteers something to interest them and become personally invested in, as well as maybe finding some good books to read.

“We support the library” remote kiosks

This idea came from group member Sarah Feldman’s brainstorming during a class she took at Simmons College GSLIS course “marketing the library” in which Sarah came up with the idea that libraries could create remote kiosks where patrons could email letters of support to their government representatives. These kiosks could be in popular community locations or businesses and would offer patrons the opportunity to locate their representatives using CapWiz and then compose either personal letters or use a preassigned form letter. Some of the complications worth noting though, are whether these stations will be restrictive to only this task or if library patrons could also book internet/computer usage on them as they would with a public library computer. Additionally, security concerns are in place for the equipment, which would need to be locked down. Finally, libraries would have to find businesses and other locations willing to host the kiosks. Another option which would be more economical is for the kiosks to be paper only by offering form letters and a locked box for the completed letters to be dropped into; volunteers of the library would next locate the appropriate government representatives and forward them along.

Sarah

Library Wishing Wells

According to Marketing Agency Teamspirit, one in five adults regularly throw change into wishing wells, amounting to millions of dollars each year!(1) Wishing Wells are common in museums, malls, department stores and tourist attractions why not tap into this easy, low maintenance money making installation. There are a handful of libraries ranging in size that have had success with wishing wells. The Champaign Public Library in Illinois reported profits of over $1,500 from their spiral well in 2001 and the Palmer Public Library in Massachusetts recently generated about $2,300 from two vortices towards re-carpeting the library campaign. There are a number of vendors that offer spiral wishing wells starting at about $1,000 or your library can invite local artists or hold a community contest to design and construct a wishing well. If you are planning a renovation or new building why not take it to grander scale and create a wishing well like Downtown Reno’s Public Library’s wishing well displayed below. Often patrons pay small fines and are quite willing to toss their change into a well to support the library and at the same time make wish. This is a fun way to raise funds without soliciting patrons in an aggressive manner and it promotes itself, requiring minimal signage. Divnick International, one vendor of spiral wishing wells, yielded $7,352.39 in one day from their product for a small school in Oregon!

Another approach is to partner with another organization to purchase and install a well outside the library like a Supermarket, Town Hall, Restaurant or have a mobile well that can be set-up at one at your community’s farmers market or annual fairs.

Advocate for your state to begin a public library fund in which private funds are matched by public dollars. Libraries, a necessary service for all communities, obtain the majority of funding through public dollars and supplement with private fundraising. Private funds assist in renovations, new building projects and pilot programs and are generally used to add onto existing services and resources. But private funding can endanger public funds if they become “too successful” and we certainly do not want to become dependent upon solely private sources and risk evolving into a private non-profit institution. Public Library Fund legislation established in a number of states? encourages libraries to raise private funds so that profits are matched with public funds. Robert C. Maier, Director of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, said, “The purpose of this program is to provide a matching incentive for funds raised by local trustees, library foundations and library Friends groups from non-municipal sources for the enhancement of library services beyond those provided through municipal funds.”(1) Massachusetts’ Public Library Fund was designed to match 50 cents in public funds to every one dollar raised through private fundraising. This year $250,000 was distributed to MA libraries in proportion to the private funds raised.